ICBA celebrates 50 years of serving open shop construction this year, and we are looking back every week at some of the significant moments, milestones, and people who helped ICBA become Canada’s largest construction association.
Today, we look at our successful #Get2Yes campaigns – four projects that shaped B.C. in the 2020s.
When it comes to building a strong, resilient economy, there’s no substitute for major projects. Dams, pipelines, ports, LNG terminals, highways – these projects inject billions into the economy, create tens of thousands of construction jobs, and leave behind infrastructure that serves future generations.
That’s why ICBA has never hesitated to step up and speak out when it matters most.
In the face of coordinated activist campaigns, legal delays, political waffling, and regulatory gridlock in the late 2010s, ICBA launched its #Get2Yes movement – an advocacy effort to support major resource and infrastructure projects and to push governments to clear a path for investment and growth.
From the Site C dam to LNG Canada, from the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) to Coastal GasLink, ICBA has been a leading voice, rallying public support, pressuring governments, and reminding decision-makers that these projects matter to real people: construction workers, families, and small businesses across B.C.
When Site C was under review (again) in 2017, and NDP Premier John Horgan threatened to kill it, ICBA flooded Victoria with messages of support. Our public opinion polling, advertising, and direct advocacy helped reinforce a simple truth: cancelling the project would have cost thousands of jobs and stranded billions in investment. We even did a stunt at BC Hydro headquarters in Vancouver, and outside the Premier’s office at the Legislature, stringing up thousands of pink slips with Horgan’s face on it – showing how many construction jobs were under threat. Thankfully, the NDP government decided to move forward.
Similarly, LNG Canada became a symbol of how B.C. could responsibly develop its natural gas resources while creating thousands of high-paying, often remote-based construction jobs. ICBA didn’t just support it quietly – we built campaigns, ran ads, and ensured that open shop workers and contractors had a voice in the debate.
Our #Get2Yes efforts have earned ICBA multiple Reed Awards from Campaigns & Elections, recognizing excellence in political campaigning and advocacy. One of the most memorable moments: our “Get Canada’s Big Gas Moving” ad – a tongue-in-cheek response to anti-energy activists that captured attention across Canada and drove massive online engagement. That ad was seen more than 2 million times online, and was a North American champion, winning the Reed for Best Web Video – Overall, against all U.S.-based competitors. When ICBA accepted the trophies, the ceremony host actually broke format to call the Big Gas ad, “genius.”
The ad also won ICBA Reed Awards for Best International Web Video (a category which includes all international campaigns outside the U.S.) and Best Canadian Web Video, and a CampaignTech Award for Funniest Web Video.
These campaigns weren’t just clever – they were effective. By reaching audiences through traditional media, social platforms, and direct outreach, ICBA helped shift public opinion and encouraged government decision-makers to stand firm in the face of activist pressure.
Projects like Site C, TMX, Coastal GasLink, and LNG Canada are not just symbols – they are the backbone of the construction economy in B.C. Each project represents:
Without them, B.C.’s economy would be smaller, less resilient, and less competitive.
The fight to build isn’t over. New opportunities – mines, export terminals, energy transmission, and more – face the same delays and opposition. ICBA continues to lead the charge, pushing governments to fix the permitting system, respect Indigenous partnerships, and put economic growth back on the agenda.
#Get2Yes is more than a slogan. It’s a call to action – and for 50 years, ICBA has answered that call.